Wednesday, 30 May 2012

WOYWW (Well, Tuesday, actually!)

I don't work on Tuesdays so try to get this post drafted, ready for Mrs Dunnitt.

It's still too hot for me to be outside for long during the day, so if you'd have passed the house at 6.30am you'd have seen me digging over this bed and planting these - just threw on the clothes from yesterday, telling a bleary eyed DH that I'd be in for my shower shortly!

They don't look much at the moment, but I'm hoping they will eventually form a neat, fragrant hedge between us and next door (Choisya Ternata Aztec Pearl)

The postman brought my weekly paper this morning. When you consider the cost of most magazines, and the amount given over to ads, I reckon this is amazing value - £1pw, delivered to my door, and usually including a free packet of seeds! It's full of really useful gardening info (no celeb articles etc!) and no, I'm not on commission!

This week it was calendula, ready to sow outside.

The knitting is growing slowly but I'll knuckle down to it this evening.

The last couple of evenings I've been potting on the little plants (a bit late, really, but I hope they'll catch up)

Here's a recipe for a garlic wash, to keep slugs and snails off your hostas - it comes from a friend who has a national collection of them (plants, not pests!) and swears by this -

Crush 2 large garlic bulbs, add to 2 pints of water. Boil until blanched, cool and strain. Make back up to 2 pints. Use 1 tbs per gallon of water in a can and spray over leaves in late afternoon. Repeat every 14 days.

I thought you might like a tour of the garden - this plant is going over a bit now, but the scent is lovely, just outside the patio doors.

I need to move some things around, though - you can hardly see the little French lavender peeping out from underneath.

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A bit further down, the aquilegias have been flowering their socks off (please ignore the couch grass waiting to be evicted). There are still lots of bare patches as the garden was only made over last year, and things need to fill out more and need more neighbours to fill the gaps.

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The forget-me-nots have seeded themselves all over without waiting for an invitation but they are so pretty. (Not sure why they look white here, when they are actually very blue). Some people consider them a weed but I will only dig a few out as and when they become a nuisance. As you can see, there's still lots of room for them at the moment.

Down at the bottom, beyond the pear tree, the foxgloves have made themselves at home, seeding themselves alongside the cornflowers.

I can't remember what these are, but I sowed them last year, and they've come up again, I'm pleased to say.

Beyond the patio and greenhouse are the veg beds. This first one has lettuce, sugar snap, low growing and ordinary peas, broad beans and a wigwam of 4 runner beans. There are onions and more runners in the next bed, and climbing alongside 2 ballerina apple trees, round an arch. The last two beds are waiting for the tom's and other veg that are too tiny to go out yet.

In the fruit bed opposite, the strawberries are coming along well, and I need to net them from the birds very soon. There are three different gooseberries in this bed, too.

Coming back up the garden to the house, you then come to the pond, and these are growing all around. This is all new, too, but filling up nicely.

Aaarggghhhh!!!!! Just noticed the bindweed sneaking it's way round this little one, as well as the couch grass.

Then up the path on the shady side of the garden, there are ferns, heucheras, choisya, a climbing hydrangea, and this little beauty. I love the way she lights up this otherwise dark spot.

I love all the daisy-type flowers. Back up in front of the patio is a bed with all sorts in, including geraniums which I love, as they're so hardy and fill in so many blank spots. I love both the pink and blue shades.

Well, that's the end of the tour. Between the gardening and the crafting indoors, I haven't even opened my hammock, let alone sat in it yet! I might bully persuade DH that he wants to help me erect it this evening.

6.30pm - Yayy!!!!

All I need to do now is to work out how to get out of it - alone - and with at least the tiniest amount of 60year old dignity!! My laughter was verging on the hysterical as DH hauled me out - just hope the neighbours weren't at their windows!! A lot more practice needed, methinks!

Goodness haven't seen that paper for years!! The Aztec Pearl will be gorgeous, may take a while but you will love it. I'm not entirely sure of it as a trimmed hedge though, I doubt the leaves will like to be cut with shears so you may have to hand prune to keep it neat. But I'm sure you know all that already!! I love calendula, but am finding them difficult to establish in my garden. I have a garden a few doors down where they just re-seed and come up year after year - grrrr!!Love all your flowery photos and the hammock looks great!!TFS and Happy WOYWW Cindy #66

Listen, I'm ungainly anyway - the thought of getting out of a hammock fills me with mild hysteria!! LOL Are you still in yours?? It might end up being a comfy place to sleep for the night! *grin*Hugs, LLJ #65 xx

Happy 3rd WOYWW Birthday. A great way to bring crafty friends together in fun and friendship.Great to spy on your garden with ll it's treasures. thanks for the garlic/slug tip.... must try it. As for that hammock.... been there, fallen out too, have fun!Love JoZarty x

Loved the tour of your garden - your plants are doing well, despite the couch grass and the bindweed! Why is it the weeds will grow when the plants you want fail. And another puzzle is why forget-me-not looks white in my snaps too!! I'd struggle to get out of the hammock too and I don't think it's just because we are in our 60s, younger folk would struggle too :)) Too late to wish you a happy WOYWW so instead I'll wish you a great holiday weekend. Elizabeth x #94

About Me

Hi - welcome to the world I share with my husband and dog,
I'm a Christian, the part-time Administrator for my church, and mad about all things crafty.
My blog title? I just LOVE teddies ... flutterbies?
I'm fascinated by most handicrafts, DIY, gardening, etc., and my problem (well, one of them) is that I want to try them all, and I flit from one to another. This means I'm usually in my element but it can be a bit wearing for my very understanding husband!
... and Chrysalis?
It's a nickname formed from my names Christine Elizabeth, which my favourite uncle gave me when I was a tiny!